After a 5-year break from instructional design, I decided I needed to refresh my skills.
This page details the final project created while enrolled in the Instructional Design Master Track certificate program.
This was a group project with four members. We collaborated throughout and individually designed and developed our respective units. My unit was on technology.
Analysis
Problem
Overtime Financial lacks a concise, relevant training program for management. On top of this, Covid-19 forced long-term virtual work on the company, and managers had little preparation or training to manage virtual teams effectively for the long term.
Proposal
A new comprehensive training program focused on leading in a virtual environment. The proposed Virtual Leadership training course will consist of four independent units covering the topics of technology, time management, culture, and emotional intelligence. The course's learning goals reflect the core issues identified during the analysis phase of the project.
Learning Goals
Our overarching goal for this training program is that managers will manage their team virtually and increase employee engagement by using technology, identifying emotional barriers to work, using time management methods, and building a positive workplace culture.
Each unit has specific learning goals, as follows:
Technology: Managers will use Zoom and Slack effectively for meetings and team communication.
Time Management: Managers will identify and prioritize tasks and select appropriate time management methods and tools to complete all tasks on time for a given day/week.
Emotional Intelligence: Managers will interpret their own emotions, identify what causes negative emotions at the workplace, and interpret their associates' emotional responses to work tasks/meetings.
Culture: Managers will demonstrate effective use of mentoring/coaching skills and culture-building strategies to improve trust and build a clear vision of the company's future.
Design
As a team, we decided that at the macro level, the Virtual Leadership program follows a utilization-related structure. All units focus on building skills managers require in a virtual setting.
Technology and time management are introduced first since practical skills are needed to function in a virtual environment. The Technology and Time Management courses will be implemented as eLearning.
The Culture and Emotional Intelligence units both have pre-assessments that will be delivered via email to associates once they have registered. Both units will be Instructor-led and delivered synchronously via Zoom. They both will allow for up to 20 learners in any one session.
Lesson Organization Plan.
Unit 1: Technology for Virtual Managers
Introduction
Deploy attention to lesson: The opening statement on the objectives slide describes the training as an exciting adventure that we are eager to join in with the learner.
Establish instructional purpose: The opening slide links technology to communication and how managers of remote teams need to use communications technology effectively.
Arouse interest and motivation: Humor is used to arouse motivation, such as zooming through meetings and using slack to show they’re not a slacker.
Preview unit: The objectives slide briefly describes the two lessons for this unit and then gives more detail regarding each lesson.
Lesson 1: Using Zoom
Relevant prior knowledge: The opening slide reminds learners they already know how to run meetings and may even be familiar with Zoom, but now we will expand their knowledge of Zoom.
Process information and examples: A slide shows the general flow of zoom meetings, touching on all key points that will be covered throughout the lesson.
Focus attention: Slide titles state the task that is being covered and slide text goes into more detail about each task as it is introduced.
Employ learning strategies: Many slides invite the learner to interact with the screens instead of simply clicking the course navigation buttons.
Practice: In addition to interacting with the slides throughout the lesson, learners are presented with a knowledge check prior to moving on to the next topic.
Evaluate feedback: Learners will be invited to a simulation assessment with a training team member and will be asked to perform steps in Zoom and Slack.
Summarize and review: A closing slide summarizes the content of each lesson.
Re-motivate and close: A motivational/humor slide reminds learners to zoom through meetings and use slack to communicate - proving they are not a slacker.
Evaluate feedback and seek remediation: Learners will be provided immediate feedback and given two opportunities to successfully complete the assessment with a score of 75% or better before being asked to review the unit.
Lesson 2 not shown
Conclusion
Assessment
Assess performance: Learners are given specific feedback on knowledge checks, so that not only they know if they answered correctly, but why it is correct or incorrect.
Development
My unit, Technology for Virtual Managers, is an eLearning course focussing on Zoom and Slack, the two primary tools Overtime Financial uses.
This training was developed after taking a Storyline basics course and only uses basic Storyline features. Review the Develop tab to see my development samples that use more advanced features of Storyline.
Many slides invite the learner to interact with the screens. Many slides have audio synched to slide content. And a consistent style is used throughout the unit.
